


Onto War

by ArteRegret



Series: Multiplying Dovahkiin [1]
Category: Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-04
Updated: 2016-09-05
Packaged: 2018-03-28 23:18:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,346
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3873628
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArteRegret/pseuds/ArteRegret
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An unlikely coupling occurs when a dragon attacks and destroys all of Helgen, foiling an attempt to kill the rebellion leader, Ulfric Stormcloak. What does our unknown Bosmer dragonborn have in store for her when she is saved by the very people who imprisoned her? This will label out the beginning of the female dovahkiin's adventure towards establishing her life as Skyrim's savior and the nord's hero.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Unbound

I awake to a hard bump from the wagon, struggling against the strains on my hands to balance myself. Groggily i sit up straight, a pounding ache running through my skull. I squint against the brightness of the sun and let a low hiss through my teeth. Before my eyes focus i hear a man across the wagon arguing with someone next to me. I allow my eyes to focus and see two men across from me, one in a blue tunic and one in fancy clothes, something you'd see on a man of power. The only odd this was the cloth tied around his mouth, gagging him.

"You're finally awake." I stare at the blonde blue tunic man in front of me, cocking my head to the side.

"Where the hell am I?" This illicits a chuckle from the nord, which only alarms me to the man beside me, looking terrified as he scoots further away from me on the small wooden bench. i glare at him "What? I don't bite hard fool. You have nothing to fear of me."

"Pardon Lokir, he isn't used to seeing Mer." Lokir seems to curl further into his corner away from me and flinches against the sneer in the other man's voice. "I can't say I'm too fond of elves myself, but seeing the situation we're in, i cannot judge too harshly." he smiles in a cunning way that i find myself gritting against. "I'm Ralof." he reaches across in his constraints to offer a hand. i reach and shake it the best i could. "We're almost to Helgen, so i suppose you woke up at about the right time." A snort is heard from the man seated next to Ralof. Lokir finally finds his voice.

"Be glad he's gagged. He'd shout you to bits just for being someone other than a nord." there is a severely angry tone to his voice and Ralof snaps at him.

"Don't disrespect the rightful high king! You should Bow to Ulfric. It's Nords like you he tries to save!" I raise my eyebrows and begin to look around as the two begin arguing again and Ulfric rolls his eyes and looks to the carriage behind us again. I notice a village in the distance ahead and see its gates start to open. there are several men dressed like the driver of our carriage, leather and steel tunics with swords at their hips. We pass under the first bridge into the village and i see and hear several parents usher their children indoors, several children arguing about how they want to see the military men. We ride through further and i see something that sends my stomach into a twist as i realize the severity of the situation i find myself in. A headsmen stands with a woman in one of the leather uniforms. I swallow hard as they stop the carriage and force us off. Standing behind behind the men, I notice a man with parchment in his hand as he starts reading off names. Lokir is called first; to which he yells that he is not a rebel like the rest of us apparently are and runs as the legate calls for the archers. My stomach turns a bit as his dead corpse falls like a doll to the ground with three arrows protruding from his back. 

"Does anybody else feel like running?" the woman yells in a tone that thoroughly speaks of power and control. The man with parchment continues with the list; next Ulfric, then Ralof, and the rest of the group dwindles down until its just me. 

The man looks confusedly at his list and then to me. "You're not on the list." he mutters under his breath. "Legate! We don't have a wood elf on our list!" 

"I dont care, everyone goes to the block." the stern woman yells.

he lets a sigh out from under his breath. "Who are you?"

"My name is Minna Nightvale. why am i here? who are these people?"

he looks at me incredulously after scratching my name onto the list. "You don't know. these are the stormcloaks. You chose a bad time to come to Skyrim. Not many wood elves come alone either." he folds the parchment and neatly places it in his pocket before talking again. "I'm sorry. We'll be sure to send your remains to Valenwood." 

"No, send them to Cyrodiil." he raises his eyebrows and pats my shoulder.

"Aye. I'll see to it." he releases my shoulder and walks behind me towards the line.  
The Priestess begins the commands to Aetheria and i look towards the ground; these are my last moments, no final warnings, it will just be the kiss of the ax and I'll be reduced to a corpse. my thoughts are broken by a yell from one of the stormcloaks saying to get it over with and walking towards the block. i take a deep breath and turn my face away. "My ancestors are smiling on me, Imperials, can you say the same?" then a gruesome clink and squelch as the ax struck down and an uproar came from the stormcloaks "Damn you to oblivion!" "Stormcloak blood has been spilled!" "Death to the Stormcloaks!" 

There was a smaller voice that rang out above them all. "He was a brave and honorable man." Ralof bowed his head, already in mourning. there was a moment of silence before the legate called out.

"Next. The Wood Elf." the man grabs my shoulder.

"Go up. Nice and easy." he seems minorly upset. i walk with a steady pace and fall to my knees before the block; allowing all of my thoughts to reign free, i call out for my ancestors. 

"Nati set vi temnot!" the words chanted at my fathers funeral thrum through the air and i lay my head forward, ignoring the Stormcloak soldiers head in the basket. The headsmen raises his ax high, but before it can find its descent a black dragon lands on the tower in my view and roars, making the headsmen lose balance and fall to the side. i struggle to get up while the chaos ensues around me, multiple people yelling orders, the Legate helping her men get up and confine the stormcloaks. i feel and arm around my shoulder and blindly run with them, a stormcloak by the brief look i get of their uniform. He shoves me into the tower while several men around me cater to their wounds and one man lays on his last breath by the staircase. i look behind me and see Ralof and Ulfric talking.

"Are you sure about this?"

"Yes. Take the men and go. Get them to safety." Ulfric baritone voice commands. "Come back to Windhelm brother." they grab each other's shoulder before parting ways and Ralof heads my direction. 

"Come on. let's get out of here." he offers his hand to me and i grab hold, allowing myself to be dragged madly behind him up the stairs. we get to the first lading where a soldier is attempting to clear a path through the rubble when the dragons head bursts through the wall. I let out a scream as his fire rains through the gaping hole. when he retracts, Ralof looks through the hole then back at me. "Do you trust me?" i widen my eyes.

"Why are you asking?" he shrugs in a manner that screams 'good enough' and grabs my shoulders, shoving me hard through the hole and over to the broken in roof of a home, all the while me screaming curses against the damned idiot and how he'll end up getting me killed. i land ungraciously in the soot and roll to get myself in a position to get up when he lands lightly on the balls of his feet. "You're an ass, Ralof."

"An ass that just saved your life, elf. let's go" "Fucking nords." He offers his hand out to me. "You always have to rush in without thinking of anything other than glory." He tugs me behind him and we drop through another broken part of the house and out its front door. Two imperials and a townsman are coaxing a child away from the danger. I spot the imperial from the list.

"Hamming, come on, nice and easy." as soon as he was out of the path the dragon landed in the spot Hamming was just at. One of the imperials calls out to the listman before the dragon can sear him. "Hadvar! Move!" then tackles him to the side, where the dragon turns on the citizen, charring his body to a crisp. i rush forward, not even thinking before lifting Hamming into my arms and running to the two legion men, all the while the child crying in my arms over his father burning behind us. Ralof took this opportunity to run ahead to fight with his brothers. 

"Minna! you survived?" I handed Hamming to the other imperial and told him to take him to safety, then offered my hand to Hadvar. 

"Obviously. come on. we have to get out of here." we began jogging towards a building, running behind it and through to the gate we entered through, the doors now covered by rocks. As i try to analyze a path out the dragon decides to land right in the pathway. Before i can say anything i feel Hadvar pull ferociously on my arm.

"Come on! This way! Quickly!" he lead me through another gate and by a new building. There was a smell of fire in the air and a familiar figure stepped out from another gate. "Ralof. you damned traitor!"

"No Hadvar, I've went my way for the better of skyrim. youve made your choices, ive made mine." Hadvar seemed to seethe under his kind appearance. "Its not the better of skyrim. It will end all of you! Cant you see that?" Ralof's eye twitches and he seems to think better than arguing. He turns to me. "Who are you going with? me or this Imperial scum?" I look between the two of them and felt my decision weigh in the air. Go with someone who is underprepared and already admitted to not liking elves, or someone who showed sympathy from the beginning. 

"Stay safe Ralof." i turned and followed Hadvar through an entry into the Inn. Theres a clatter of noise as i rush in and wait for him to block off the door. He pauses to catch his breath and begins walking towards me. 

"Let me get those bindings off." He pullsout his dagger and cuts away at the ropes around my wrists. As soon as Im able I stretch my arms out and let out a groan. "Thank you." I peep out to him. "Dont even worry about it" he gives me a kind smile. "Look around for some armor, you'll need to get something better than those scraps." He walked over to the beds across the way and began rummaging through chests. I walked over to a weapon rack and pulled out the two iron swords, then opened a chest by the rack and pulled out a set of imperial armor. Pulling out the boots and tunic and setting them on the table I started to set the swords down too when Hadvar laid the helmet down. "This is all i could find. Its worth a little coverage. Ill look the other way, but if you need help all you need to do is ask." A twinge of pink touched his cheeks before he turned his back. I pulled the roughspun tunic off and set it to the side before unfolding the armor and sliding it over me. It was a bit bigger, given that it was really meant for a taller imperial male rather than a petite wood elf woman. I strapthe two swords to my sides and wrenched on the boots. Feeling the fit, i pull a sword out and stretch out. 

"Alright. Lets go."


	2. Delving into Darkness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Along her adventure to save her skin, Minna Nightvale escapes Helgen with the help of her Legionnaire comrade, Hadvar. What might happen when they delve into the deep recesses of the city inn?

Hadvar stares me down for a minute, going from the sword in my hand to my uncommon stance. "Well, I guess that will work." he suppresses a chuckle and walks forward to the door, pulling on the chain that lifts the gate.

"What do you mean by you 'guess that will work'?" we start roaming down the hallway that stops at another gate. "Is it that bad?"

"Well, I'd venture to guess you've never used a sword in your life. would I be right?" I shy away and glare his direction. "Ahh. See there? I'd be right." he giggles and stops, his attention directed through the gate. with a lower voice he speaks towards me "There are Stormcloaks in there; stay behind me, we might be able to reason with them, but if we cant..." he pauses, debating what to say next. "Don't get hurt." he draws his sword out quietly then pulls the next chain. Calmly, he places himself in front of me and we walk into the room. Without even speaking a word, the two nords unsheathe their swords and yell as they launch toward us. 

I dodge to the right and block, the small fencing practice coming to my mind as I quickly leap back and allow the man's warhammer to glance by me. I side step to get out of the way of another heavy swing. Dodging behind the man as his momentum carries him to his right, I arc my sword across his back, cutting easily through the fur of his armor and releasing a yelp of pain from him as blood began to seep from the deep cut. In a rage, he lifts his hammer directly into the air and swings down, narrowly missing my shoulder as I leaned to the left and brought my iron sword across his chest haphazardly. Another yelp escaped him and I had toppled over from the sudden movement when he lifted the hammer once more into the air. 

'This is it. I escaped the ax but couldn't escape the hammer.' Then there was a sickening splatter of blood across my face and I looked up to see a sword protruding from the nord's chest. the hammer clattered to the floor at his feet and Hadvar wrenches the sword from the mans back. I released a breath I hadn't realized I was holding and laid back on the floor, soaking in the fact that I had been close to dying again. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, when I opened them, Hadvar's hand was directly in my vision. I reached up and allowed him to help me up. "Thank you. Looks like I owe you my life now."

"No problem. You weren't meant for this as it is." he grinned at me.

"I'm not meant for a sword you mean. Give me a bow and I could take out more people than you could." he scoffed at me and searched the man's body for a key, arguing about how "Bows are a coward's weapon" and "All you do is pull a string" to which I smacked his shoulder and snatched the key from his hand, strutting to the gate. The door opened easily and we bickered over choices of weapon further as we descended stairs into a lower level of the inn.

"Stay behind me until we can get you bow." I agree and we walk through the doorway. Hadvar spots Stormcloaks at the end of the hallway and rushes forward, only to have me pull him back in time to not be crushed by falling rocks. "Damned dragon. Stay behind me." he opens a door to the left and I follow quietly behind. 

\---

After killing the three men inside the small room, Hadvar and I rummage around through the drawers and gather food and potions before moving down the hall and into the torture room. He runs straight into the fight, helping the two other legion men fight off the lone man. I roamed through collecting pick locks and gold and avoided the scirmage, taking down a mace and an iron shield, to the slight protest of the head torturer.

"Yes, please, take all my things." He sneers and I ignore him, opting to listen to Hadvar attempt to get the two to go along and pick a lock to a cell with a deceased wizard in it.

"There's a dragon, we need to stick together and get out." Hadvar starts in before he's interrupted by the torturer, claiming he doesn't take orders from him. 

"He isn't worth it Hadvar. If he wants to die, it's his own damned fault. We need to get out ourselves still." I pipe to the men before setting off down the hallway. About halfway down, the hallways turns into a rock cave. They finally caught up with me. We sneak on deeper until we come across an opening, listening in on the conversation inside.

"How are we supposed to get out of here?" a female voice rings out.

"Keep it down! You don't know who might be with us." at that, an arrow launched and hit the wall to our left, clattering to the floor. I scramble backwards into the Torturer's Assisstant who nudges me to the side and draws out his war ax. both of the men rush into battle. There is yelling and clatters as the two men start through, and i pull the mace from my belt and run in. i spot the archer across the cave and rush towards him, hoping with all of me that he wont see me. I'm very wrong in this and dodge madly as the arrow whizzes past my face. Now this, i can do. instead of going for the stairs i opt to run straight up the wall, grasping the wooden railing at the top and launching myself over, digging the mace directly into the archers head. before he can hit the ground i snatch the bow from his hand and pluck his quiver from his back and strap it onto my own. Hadvar is still fighting below and i see him fall backwards over a small pile of rubble. The burly nord above him raises his battle ax high, and i take my opportunity, sinking an arrow in the soft spot between his shoulder blades. A scream of pain is echoed through the cave, only to be cut short by the sword that beheads the man. Hadvar jogs up the stairs towards me,panting all the while.

"The Assistant. He didn't make it." he gasps out, seeming to be in a massive amount of pain. 

"I know. Rest for minute, catch your breath and i'll heal you." I call healing hands to my aid and cast it over him, a gold ribbon of light twirling around him and he lets out a sigh of relief. i sit down beside him. "i told you i can shoot the hell out of a bow." this gets a full chuckle out of him.

"Aye! that you can." after a long while of silence he speaks up again. "You and I would make a great team. We can watch each other's back."

"An interesting idea, i have to admit. though i haven't been a practicing adventurer in years." he pats my shoulder.

"You're a better archer than what most of the Legion has." he ponders for a moment before continuing. "You would make a fine recruitment into our troop."

"I'll have to think on that..." a long silence ensues. "Well, we can't exactly start an adventure until we've made it out of here." i stand up and offer a hand down to him. "Let's get going." he smiles up at me and takes my hand. We walk into the hallway and pull on the lever, watching the wooden bridge fall over and cross. No sooner had his foot left the platform, rocks crashed in and broke the bridge in half. "Guess we can't turn back now anyways..." we press on, finding a stream and following it through the cave until we find a pile of rubble blocking our way, and we're forced to follow a smaller path into a larger room, covered with spiderwebs. "Oh shit..." i unsheathe my bow and Hadvar prepares his sword as a giant spider drops from the ceiling and several smaller, but still rather big, spiders start to swarm us. Sword swings back and forth and there are zings through the air as my arrows land on their mark. After about 3 arrows the giant spider falls and we press further onto the cave.

"What's next? Giant snakes?" Hadvar visibly shivers.

"Are you afraid of spiders?" he jerks and glares at me.

"I'm not AFRAID of anything. Some things just don't sit with me as well as others."

"So spiders." he glares and picks up his pace, nearly walking into the line of sight of a cave bear. i have never seen someone stop so quickly. he immediately backs up a few kicks a rock, causing the bear to roar and wake up. quickly i knock an arrow into its stomach, causing it to back up for the slightest of seconds before attempting again. my next arrow buries in its head and the beast crumples to the ground. I run up to Hadvar, seeing the whiteness of his skin and his wide eyes, i lift his arm around my shoulder and we walk towards the exit of the cave.

The noon sun is incredibly bright and there is a noise of wings above, so we hide by a nearby rock as the dragon flies north. 

"It's gone. that was so close." he leans against the rock and seems to breath a sigh of relief. "I know a town nearby, my uncle is the blacksmith there. if we leave now we could be there before sundown." after a few breaths i nod and he continues. "Thank you. you saved my life several times in there. i owe you."

"Consider my life debt paid. we're even, friend." he smiles and we begin a long walk towards Riverwood.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> no notes for this chapter.


	3. Riverwood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On the walk to Riverwood, Minna and Hadvar discover common ground and find a new friendship in each other.

"There is absolutely no way you fought a spriggan. I couldnt fathom you surviving a run in with them." Hadvar laughs at my acclimation. 

"No! I absolutely did. Theres so many in Valenwood, you wouldnt believe it." I stubbornly glare at him and walk ahead. 

"So wait." His tone turns serious for a moment. "You lived in Valenwood?" 

"Yeah. What would make you think different?"

"You said, back before the execution, to send your remains to Cyrodiil, not to Valenwood." It suddenly dawns on me and i hesitate before talking again. 

"I lived in Valenwood before. My Da was a wood elf and met my mom when she was a traveller there. She was visiting from Cyrodiil." I pause for a moment before he presses me for more. "They struggled for a long while and Mom left for The Imperial City, taking me with her. But, i didnt fit well, and before a year was up, she sent me back to Da, telling me to come back whenever i wanted to see her. So i grew up in Valenwood but my mother lives in Cyrodiil." He nodded before speaking up. 

"But. If your father raised you, why would you send your remains to your mother?"

"Oh. I left that out, didnt i?" I swallow hard, pressing down memories. "He died, about two years ago. He was quite old for an elf and we knew it would come any time." I slouched my shoulders forward and Hadvar reached an arm around me.

"I know how that feels, lass. I lost my parents in a fire when i was young. I lived with Alvor since then. Riverwood is where i met Ralof. He was my best friend as children, but when we grew up, he decided to join the rebels." I could see a small village ahead and we rushed to get to the smith.

"Ralof? Is that really you? Arent you supposed to be out fighting?" a brown haired, burly nord stepped down and brought Hadvar into a hug.

"Yes, Uncle, its me. I'll explain it in a moment. could we go inside to talk?"

"Of course. come on. whos this you've brought along? No trouble, i hope." 

He guided us into his home and i sat by the fire, the chill of Skyrim finally catching up with me as Hadvar explained everything at Helgen to Alvor. A young girl came up and sat by the hearth with me. "Are you a wood elf? Like faendal?" her bright cheery voice reminded me of my time in Cyrodiil beofre crossing into skyrim and i smiled back at her gleaming face.

"Yes, i am. I'm from Valenwood." i offered my hand out to her. "I'm Minna." she smiled before taking my hand.

"I'm Dorthe. Thats my Papa, Alvor, and my cousin, Hadvar. He's a soldier, you know." she babbled on and on before her mother shushed her.

"Don't talk her ear off." she shooed her, to which Dorthe huffed and trampled off, clearly peeved at not being able to talk to a new friend. "I'm Sigrid. Alvor's wife." she put an excessive amount of force on the word 'wife' and glared me down, to which i put my palms up and leaned back.

"Minna, im here with Hadvar." she seemed to relax a bit and sat on the hearth.

"Well, you have a good partner there. Truly, hes such a sweet boy." she offered me a bottle of mead next to her. "You look exhausted. what happened out there?" after a few gulps of the mead i relaxed a bit, trying not to scrunch my nose at the foul after taste the liquor left. 

"Well," i began, "We were in Helgen during the executions, they caught this Stormcloak fellow and a dragon attacked in the middle of the second execution." i conveniently left out the fact that I was the second execution that was supposed to happen. "I fled into the keep with Hadvar and we escaped together. not sure what happened after the dragon left."

Sigrid covered her open mouth with her hand. "Thats awful, and the dragon is still alive?" at my nod she looked towards Alvor. "The whole town could be in danger, we have to send message to the Jarl in Whiterun!" to which Alvor nodded.

"Aye, i know." he towards me. "I wouldnt ask this unless it was important. I cant make the run myself, and i'll be damned before i send Sigrid out in this kind of danger. do you think you could get word to the Jarl?" i slowly nodded.

"I suppose im the best suited for a task like that. I'll do it, but is there any chance i could take a break tonight? Do you have any supplies you could spare?" 

"Anything in here is free game, lass. stay here tonight if you wish."

"I have to stay here and regain my energy before i can set off for solitude." Hadvar piped in. "I'm setting up some furs in the basement, you stay down there with me." i nodded and stood up from the hearth, stretching.

"That would be absolutely wonderful, if i wouldnt be imposing."

"You wouldnt be a problem." Sigrid seemed to have warmed up to me. i smiled and said my thanks before setting out to sell some supplies to the Riverwood Trader and sharpening a dagger at the forge. by the time i had run my errands i was beyond exhausted, to which Sigrid had handed me a fold of cloth before i head down the stairs, grabbing a loaf of bread and some cheese to snack on before setting off to bed. I happened upon Hadvar changing.

"OH!" i nearly dropped the loaf before adverting my eyes. "Sorry! I didnt know you were changing." i turned so my back was to the wall.

"No it's fine. i shouldve warned someone." he pulled on breeches. "Here, im at least decent." i turned around and he was standing there bare chested. my eyes sweeped across the firm planes of his chest and abs. clearly he wasnt a lazy soldier.

"I, um...." i had to think before i spoke. internally my mind was screaming 'Minna, by the divines it been too long. say something!' 

"I have bread." i clumsily say, tripping over the words still.

'anything other than that wouldve been better'

"And cheese"

'i stand corrected'

"That's lovely. would you want to share?" he gave me grin and walked over to the furs he had laid out, motioning for me to come closer. 

I walked up to him, clad in a leather armor i pawned from Lucan. i sat the bread and cheese down before i talked again. "I, um, i have to change." he simply turned his back towards me and i slipped into the doeskin breeches and light linen tunic Sigrid let me borrow. i folded my armor and padded over to the furs again, the cold stone chilling my bare feet as i nearly tripped over them. i sat on the furs and tapped his shoulder after my things had been laid by my pack beside the bedding. "I'm done."

When he turned back towards me i noticed his flushed cheeks like before when i changed in the keep. i giggled to myself before breaking off a piece of bread and handing it to him. "thanks." he says quietly before biting into it.

"Well, that was an exciting day, wasnt it?" i decided to start conversation. 

He laughed heartily and nodded in agreement. "That it was." he took a moment to chew the rest of his bite of bread. "I never thanked you for saving me. I'd likely be dead if it wasnt for you." he smiled and held out his hand. "So, thank you."

i smiled and took his hand, "Consider it a friendly gesture." i looked into his eyes and felt an awkward tension in the air, one i wasnt willing to address, and he looked like he was contemplating addressing it himself.

"we really could use someone like you in the legion." he replied hesitantly. "youre quick and cunning and..." he dropped but i could feel his words in the air still. "....i'd like to fight alongside you more." i nodded and smiled. I'd have to really think about this. fighting beside him sounded really appealing.

"After i get this dragon busniess taken care of, i'll at least visit Solitude. it's not a promise, but i'll come to Solitude and see." he smiled widely, clearly pleased ive considered the offer.

"You'll see how beautiful the city is and come to love it and want to protect it. I can almost guarantee you'll love it." his grin was making me start to smile and i felt that same tension in the air grow thicker. 

Before my brain could process what my mouth was saying, i blurted out "Well, i already love one thing from Solitude." and his smile changed to a confused look. My jaw dropped and i gasped, every inch of my being flinching at my own words. before i could regain my composure, Hadvar's hands were on either side of my face and he pulled me into him softly, his lips brushing against mine. We moved together with ease, like practiced lovers and pressed our chests together, his hands roaming down my back and pulling me into him. i let all my thoughts recede from my mind and just consentrated on him. His mouth tasted like the honey from the mead and his hands left gooseflesh in its wake as his hand pushed the tunic up the slightest and his thumb was drawing circling on my lower back. i arched into him at the shock and he pulled away from me, breathless. 

There was a long pause between us before we pulled apart. "that-"

"Um-" we both awkwardly settled back down. "I'm sorry. you probably didnt mean for that. i just-" he babbled.

"Shush. nonsense. That was.... really lovely. Actually." i awkwardly smiled and moved so that we sat hip to hip with eachother, leaning my head on his shoulder. "I didnt mind at all." he smiled down at me and wrapped his arm around my waist.

"Well, i have a long day and so do you. It would probably be best if we slept." 

"Sleep does sound tempting..." we laid back on the furs and he wrapped his arms around me, kissing my forehead before we both fell asleep, me dreaming of a land full of Dragons, him of the woman laying in his arms.


	4. Chapter 4

Waking up was not as glamorous of an experience, but was enjoyable none the less. Tangled in the furs and Hadvar's arms, i woke groggily and still craved more sleep, but forced myself to scoot away as softly as possible. I succeeded and Hadvar stirred with a groan before rolling over and going back to his soft snore. i smiled to myself and began stripping myself of the borrowed nightwear from Sigrid, making a mental note to be sure to attempt to wash it before i set off. I struggled and tugged my way in to my leather breeches with padding supporting the thighs and shins, tying the drawstrings as best i could, then slid the cotton shirt on before the leather jacket that covered my chest tightly. i left the boots off for the moment and glanced back at Hadvar. he had turned back over and was watching me silently.

"You cheeky bastard," I scolded "how long were you watching?"

He broke out into a big grin before sitting up on the furs and propping back on his arms. "Only long enough to see you put on the leather tunic. Sorry..." the grin faded as he realized that it was a rather rude thing to do, given we had a moment or not.

i gathered up the nightwear and folded it as i walked. "You're forgiven." i threw over my shoulder as i padded quietly up the stairs in search of a wash bin. pouring water into the basin, i started to massage the cloth in my hands. Sigrid had laid out some food and she and Dorthe were sitting at the table eating bread and sliced apples. A few moments later, Hadvar emerged from the basement in his imperial armor, still covered in blood from the day before. i beckoned him over to me and dipped a strip of cloth in the basin before scrubbing the leather and metal on his chest and forearms.

"Thank you..." i nodded back to him before going back to the clothing.

"Sigrid, where do you want these?" she took the cloths from my hand and told me to go eat before marching outside.

After breakfast, i gathered the rest of my things, grabbing my new pack and coin purse and sliding and lacing the boots onto my feet. Hadvar accompanied me downstairs as he gathered his belongings as well.

"Minna..." i turned and looked him in the eyes. I found a warmth in them, perhaps the first real warmth I've encountered since i came to Skyrim. "I won't forget you. i promise that." I smiled and closed the space between us, wrapping my arms around him and setting my cheek against his chest plate. His body went rigid before he placed his arms around me as well.

"We do, regretfully, need to get going. its going to be a long day." i broke the small silence between us and we pulled back. He said his goodbyes to his family and we set off to Whiterun, encountering a few wolves along the way. he accompannied me as far as the stables where we said our goodbye.

"Please, promise me you'll visit Solitude," he grasped my hands firmly "I'd like to have you on my side."

"All i can promise is I'll come there. I'm not much of a soldier." I smiled towards him. "Safe travels, Hadvar." he squeezed my hands and released.

"Same to you, Minna." he climbed into the back of the carriage and waved at me until we couldn't see each other from the distance. I turned on my heel and slowly marched up the path into Whiterun.

"Halt! No visitors with the dragons about." The guard stopped me dead in my zombie walk and i looked up from the rocks to see a cold steel helmet with cold blue eyes peeking through the shadows.

"Alvor sent me, I have news of the attack in Helgen." While i couldn't visually see the slight shock in the guard, his body betrayed his emotions as he stiffened and walked me up to the gate. "Stay out of trouble." he grumbled just loud enough for me to hear, and i stepped into the drab city.

Whiterun is not much to see, mostly grass, lavender, wood, and stone buildings, nothing compared to the huge natural cities in Valenwood, or the glorious cityscapes of Cyrodiil. I padded through the small paths as children rushed past me giggling and playing tag, asking me to join in. I mostly ignore them and smile to myself as i climb the steps up to Dragonsreach. In the distance a priest can be heard spewing words about Talos and how important he is to Skyrim. I completely tune the man out and pass easily into Dragonsreach before groaning at another set of stairs and hauling myself up them silently. Upon my first steps into the court, a Dark Elf draws her sword and walks steadily towards me.

"Who let you in? The Jarl is seeing no visitors." her voice is demanding but surprisingly smooth, especially for a Dunmer.

"I'm here with news of the dragon attack. Alvor from Riverwood sent me." On my words she sheaths her sword and relaxes.

"He'll want to talk to you right away. Keep your weapons sheathed." I roll my eyes and step forward.

**Author's Note:**

> Nati set vi temnot- Find Light in the Darkness.
> 
> The woodland Elvish is influenced by Russian and Latin and will have similarities and differences.


End file.
